Let the craziness begin...

Today marked the first day of having students in the school for academic related activities. We began the day getting the freshman into school, and ready to go be a part of our house system. It was great watching all of them slowly walk into school, scared of where to go, where to sit, what to say, etc. I am so excited to be back in the wonderful Cordero House with my family! I can already see a sense of maturity and growth from just the summer. Don't get me wrong, I still had my trouble students but was able to ask them to do what I need only 3 times versus the old 10-12 times. Baby steps...

Spending only a half day with the student body provided for a bit of time in the office to work, but really not sure if I got anything done. :/. After painting the office this past summer and having everything packed in boxes, I am still getting used to where everything is and where to go when I need something. I also received a delivery of more miscellaneous items to store in the room, and was able to condense and hide away for the time being. When I looked back up at the clock, I realized it was 4:30, and definitely time to head out and get some rest before the rest of the hectic week.

There is a sense of excitement and renewal though with the student body present again for the school year, and I can't wait to see where it goes...

Happiness Journal (September 5):

• seeing my Cordero Family after a great summer vacation apart
• singing the Bishop Loughlin school song at our Principal's Convocation
• having pumpkin iced coffee from Dunkin' Donuts again (2 days in a row...better stop it)
• Conversation with the students during family time today (trying to explain the new schedule system) - Students: "Mr. Hueg, this is mad hard to understand" Me: "Well I'm going to make it mad easy, so here we go...". As I posted on twitter --> #teacherswag! :)
• the great work all of our student leader, house representatives did today to help make the day as smooth as possible 

“Do you build on the affection that the young people have for you to lead them to God?” - Saint John Baptist de La Salle (Med 101.3)

Live Jesus In Our Hearts. Forever! 

Zig-A-Zag ZEAL!

During this year's LV Orientation, we spent a great deal of time focusing on the twelve Lasallian virtues in education and living the mission. One virtue that stuck out to me was zeal - the teacher instructs students by their good example and dedication. This morning, we celebrated our "Back to School Mass for Teachers", and as I mentioned in my "Happiness Journal" yesterday, I selected an awesome LaSalle meditation for post-communion. 

194.3 Third Point

To bring the children whom you instruct to take on the Christian spirit, you must teach them the practical truths of faith in Jesus Christ and the maxims of the holy Gospel with at least as much care as you teach the truths that are purely theoretical.

It is true that a number of doctrines are absolutely necessary for us to know in order to be saved, but what would it serve to know them if we did not take the trouble to practice the good to which we are bound?

Faith, Saint James says, without good works is dead. Saint Paul also says, If I knew all the mysteries and had full knowledge and all the faith such that I move mountains from one place to another but have not charity (that is, sanctifying grace), I am nothing.

Is your main care, then, to instruct your disciples in the maxims of the holy Gospel and the practice of the Christian virtues? Have you anything more at heart than helping them find their happiness in these practices? Do you regard the good you are trying to achieve in them as the foundation of all the good they will practice for the rest of their life? The habits of virtue that are cultivated during youth encounter less resistance in corrupt nature and form the deepest roots in the hearts of those in whom they have been formed.

If you want the instructions you give to those whom you have to instruct to be effective in drawing them to the practice of good, you must practice these truths. You must be full of zeal, so that your students may be able to receive a share in the grace that is in you for doing good and your zeal may draw down on you the Spirit of God to inspire your students in the same way. 

-Saint John Baptist de La Salle

I felt a particular joy when I read this reflection, because it reminded me of why I am doing what I do: I enjoy being a part of the education world, and touching the hearts of students. I want my students to feel that same feeling when they go out into the community doing service. Can you imagine what the world would be like if all this came full circle? Hmmm...

Happiness Journal (September 4):

• seeing all of the teachers come back to Loughlin today and sharing in the excitement of the new year
• hearing the reactions of some of the student leaders when they walked into my office and saw me there: "Mr. Hueg, you're here another year?" "Mr. Hueg, I'm so excited to see you!" etc. (what a great feeling, legit)
• pumpkin iced coffee is officially back at Dunkin Donuts (better padlock that wallet when walking to the train after work...)
• watching Robin Hood: Men In Tights with Jen tonight and recasting the whole movie based off the brothers and volunteers in the DENA district! 

"The miracle is not that we do this work, but that we are happy to do it." -Mother Teresa

Live Jesus In Our Hearts. Forever! 

Where did August go?

Well here I am on the night before the new academic year begins wondering where that month of August went? It is crazy to think I am already a month into my second year as a Lasallian Volunteer!! It would be too much to state all that happened in that month, but let me just say: IT WAS GREAT! Lots more exploring, hanging with friends, a visit from family, and checking more things off the "Stuff to do before leaving New York list" <-- still have a long way to go though with this list. Maybe I will post it to keep everyone in the loop, knowing what I am trying to get to. :).

So with a new year comes a new feeling to this blog. I want to continue clueing everyone into what is happening with my life, but will also begin to try and update more regularly. My friend Carly, currently serving in Providence, RI, is doing something I absolutely love on her blog that I have decided to "borrow". A great brother, Brian Henderson, said that the real meaning of the Brothers letters "FSC" means: Find it, Steal it, Copy it. :). That is exactly what I am doing. I am going to try and post every day some things that made me happy or smile throughout the day. So often I rush through my day, getting the tasks completed without actually stopping to look at what makes this experience so beautiful. To sum up my "happiness journal", I will include a quote from poetry, songs, movies, etc. on how I am feeling about the day, and what impacted me! I really look forward to seeing the growth throughout the year, and being able to truly look back and remember this second year of being a Lasallian Volunteer!

So...let's begin:

Things that made me happy today (this past weekend):

• seeing all my wonderful DENA (District of Eastern North America) volunteers at the A-Frame for a final weekend of relaxation before the hectic school year
• jamming out to mixes on the car ride up and back, remembering all this "old school" music
• finding the perfect reflection for tomorrow's "Back to School" Teacher Mass by St. John Baptist de La Salle
• having the smell of campfire remain present in my room after unpacking my laundry from the weekend - a stepping stone into the beautiful smell of autumn! 

"Plan your hours to be productive; Plan your weeks to be educational; Plan your years to be purposeful; Plan your life to be an experience of growth; Plan to change; plan to grow." -Iyanla Vanzant

There ARE good samaritans in NYC!!

So this past week was a little stressful in my experiences, and below I will detail to the best of my abilities what happened.

Monday morning, I left for my summer job at the normal time of 6 am, and began my walk to the train. I slid my metro card, put it back in my wallet, and headed down for the train which was just arriving. Commence the usual activity: headphones, ipod on and jamming, ride into Brooklyn and walk to work. So far, pretty usual. Cut to lunch time and getting ready to head out to the local corner store, and I can't find my wallet. I am flipping my backpack upside down, inside out, changing my clothes constantly, hoping that it will appear. After pacing the office for a few moments, I decided to claim that I was pick-pocketed, and am now going to have my identity floating around the great city. I begin the normal process of canceling all of my cards, requesting new information etc., but come to a halt when I realize that my state drivers license was also there. Ensue panic, but later calm, when I read online they still have the ability to view my records and print another one to send out to me. The rest of the work day goes horrible, because the only thing on my mind is how much someone is loving carrying around my favorite NYC Subway System wallet. A co-worker provides me with some cash to get home, and I begin to plan how to tell the community without to much of a freakout. Now, if you know me at all, I can never calmly tell a story or express what happened, so begin the dramatic telling of the story to Stephanie and Br. Ed. The look of crazy was real, but then some bit of sympathy was accompanied. I spent the whole night stressing out, and feeling like I would never be the same again (I'm sure you're thinking, "C'mon Christopher, get over it, you've ordered the new cards it'll be fine..."). I am able to get some sleep Monday night, but wake up Tuesday for work with the worst headache I have experienced ever, due to the amount of stress I was putting on myself. I took the morning off to just relax and recover (thank goodness for an awesome boss), while keeping a cool the rest of the day. Here's the fun part: Wednesday! The morning routine begins, and I get on the subway heading for work. As I am riding along, we arrive at the 34th St-Herald Square stop, and out of my peripherals, I see a woman charging towards me. I look up, and extended out in front of her is MY WALLET!! :D. I couldn't believe it! I wanted to jump and give the woman the biggest hug in the world, but knew that would not be the most appropriate thing, so went with a calm "Thank you so much, I truly appreciate it!" After the awkward exchange of words and what to say, I asked how she knew it belonged to me. She told me as she was getting off the train, she noticed a wallet sitting on the seat, and wanted to make sure it didn't continue traveling the city, so she grabbed it. When she opened it up, she immediately recognized my face from the driver's license and my daily morning commute. She made it her mission to hold onto the wallet, continue riding the same morning train on the same car, and make sure it arrived safely back to me. Later in the conversation she told me she looked for me on Tuesday morning, but couldn't find me, and was worried that I was going to no longer take public transit. Lucky for her, there I was on Wednesday, as usual, and she was able to complete her act of good samaritan.

This is my favorite NYC Subway System Wallet

It still amazes me to think how simple it would have been to ditch that wallet, and just let someone find it and use the contents. I am forever grateful for her simple actions, and I eagerly await my turn to pay it forward!

On a completely different topic, I just want to pass along an awesome link to a video for everyone to enjoy: LV, Maybe? (click here)

A lengthier post about my recent adventures to come this weekend! :)

Live Jesus In Our Hearts. Forever!

A little recap would be nice...

Happy 1 Year Anniversary to my blog!! Its amazing to look back and think that its already been a year. Man, how time flies. After returning from a very fun (and long) orientation, I am ready for round 2!!

I thought it would be fun to reflect back and pick out my "Top 10 Moments" of my first year as an LV. (you'll want to read the whole thing, I promise...)

And so, here are:

CHRISTOPHER'S TOP 10 MOMENTS 

FROM YEAR ONE OF LV!!

10. Exploring the East Coast and New England Area: As you may remember from reading, I was able to spend weekends visiting different volunteers along the East Coast, while also exploring and sightseeing the beautiful northeastern part of the US. Its amazing how close everything is in this part of the country, and really, how quickly you are able to get out of NYC and enjoy the beauty around. I cannot wait to see what year 2 will bring driving around/taking buses and trains to see different areas. 

9. Attempting to make "Paranormal Activity: Bedford Park": In the fall, our community television was out of order for over a week, waiting for repair. Kenny, Steph, Jen and I decided we were going to get crafty and recreate the Paranormal Activity movies, seeing as we had recently watched them. The first few days of filming went great, but it was really amazing to see how much we were getting in our own heads and becoming afraid of our own house that we were living in. Needless to say, the filming ended, but there is some great, comedic footage on my computer if at anytime anyone would like to see our attempted project. 

8. LV Retreats: Throughout the year, the Lasallian Volunteers meet up a total of 4 times to share in community through different retreats. These retreats were strategically placed to provide for a break away from the service sites and allow for us to come together and share our experiences. So many laughs and good memories were formed during these long weekends away. With such a strong group of LVs this year, I know we are going to have just as much fun, if not more, on retreats this year! 

7. Lighting of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree: Being in New York, there were so many different tourist-y activities I wanted to attend, and this was for surely a highlight. It is incredible to watch this year after year on TV, and then all of a sudden I am a member standing in the audience seeing it LIVE! Aside from the rude woman in front of me at the beginning, the holiday spirit was overflowing and was contagious to those who may not have had as much! 

6. Living the New York theatre scene: My initial reaction to being placed in New York was "Oh good, I can see a lot of theatre!!" Then I received my first stipend and realized all the real-world items I would have to purchase aka responsibilities to save and got nervous. However, very quickly I learned of general rush policies and lottery lines and was able to see shows at such large discount prices. It was such a fun experience watching a show and applying what I learned for 4 years at Lewis; lighting, sound, costume, directing styles, set, etc. If I had to peg my favorite show from my first year its a toss up between Once: A New Musical or Peter and the Starcatcher. 

5. Completing a Half Marathon: It is still such a proud accomplishment to look back and think that I ran and completed a half marathon. If you would have told me a year ago I would actually enjoy running, I would have dropped to the ground gasping for air because I'd be laughing so hard. Through generous family and friends donating to a program I love, I found a hidden motivation to show everyone what I was made of! Stay tuned for more information regarding Year 2, and what run I will do this year...

4. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade: This is another one of those tourist-y things I just HAD to do while living in New York. From my earliest years, this parade has always been my favorite and truly a dream to attend. The balloons, the floats, the atmosphere, the EVERYTHING was incredible, and I feel so lucky to say that I have finally attended and a dream came true. If I could change just one thing, I would want to be sitting on the bleachers outside Macy's on 34th Street where all the performers stop, but beggars cant be choosers when given such an exciting opportunity! 

3. Going on the Kairos Retreat (really any...) with my students: Being able to bring my students away on various weekend retreats was such a highlighted moment in my service year. There is something about bringing city kids out into the country and mountains that brings about a new side of them. The reverence demonstrated towards the reflections, prayers, and all in between really made my job so enjoyable to be with them! I cannot wait to see those students become leaders this year, and share those special moments with retreatants to come! 

2. My community becoming family: Within any family there are disagreements and arguments, but as I reflect back on my year, I don't know if I would be who I am today without the experience of sharing community with the brothers and volunteers. In the end, we were able to learn from one another and really share some pretty funny moments. To this day, I still believe Bedford Park is the best community to be a part of in the LV Program ;). 

and the #1 moment of Christopher's Year One Experiences is...

1. BECOMING A LOUGHLINITE!: Working at Bishop Loughlin MHS has really made such an impact on who I am as a person, and what I want to do in my life! I will forever be a Loughlinite, taking "pride" in the Lions and who they are. It is in the amazing relationships formed with the students, faculty, administration, and anyone who passes through our doors, that I am truly blessed and honored to be able to call myself a Loughlinite through it all! 

So Year 2, whatcha got for me?! I am ready to go!! 

Live Jesus In Our Hearts. Forever!